12 | Protect Food in all Phases of Preparation Using HACCP Guidelines contamination.
Virus A virus is the smallest and simplest known form of life. Viruses do not grow on food like bacteria, however, when food is contaminated with a virus it can cause foodborne illnesses. Norovirus is one of the top five pathogens that cause foodborne illness in the United States (CDC, 2022).
Viruses are introduced to food in one of three ways: through an infected employee, through contamination during the production process with sewage, or, more rarely, through the consumption of animal foods that harbor a zoonotic virus (Koopmans, 2012).
Improper food handling is the most common cause of most viral foodborne illness (Greening & Cannon, 2016). An example of viral contamination via an infected employee could be as follows: An employee arrives at work with Norovirus but does not disclose their symptoms of diarrhea. They do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. They touch ready-to-eat foods that are being served to clients, contaminating the food with the virus. Clients then eat those
Figure 12.2 Theoretical and Confirmed Transmission Routes of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Glossary
Virus Source of foodborne illness that does not grow in food but is transmitted from people, animals, or contaminated water
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Figure 12.2: Theoretical and Confirmed Transmission Routes of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), Reprinted from Food Environ Virol, 2021, Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12560-021-09461-5#citeas. Reprinted with permission.